Geothermal Exchange System Using A Thermally Superconducting Medium With A Refrigerant Loop

ABSTRACT

A geothermal exchange system is couplable to a ground coil formed from a thermal superconductor material, and transfers heat using a refrigerant loop. The device includes a compressor, a reversible refrigerant loop with two heat exchangers, one of which couplable to a thermal superconductor ground loop. The device uses a high thermal transfer superconductor to efficiently move heat to and from the earth source for the purpose of heating and cooling. The device operates in cooling or heating modes by controlling the thermal switches and activating the heat intensification circuit in response to the difference between a set point and a measured temperature. Alternatively, the system can be configured for heating only or cooling only modes, by operating the refrigerant loop in one direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to geothermal cooling systems,and more particularly to a geothermal cooling device coupled with asuperconducting heat transfer element for use as an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ground source heat pump systems, also known geothermal or geoexchangesystems, have been used for heating and cooling buildings for more thanhalf a century. In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency evaluatedall available heating and cooling technologies and concluded that groundsource heat pump systems were the most energy efficient systemsavailable in the consumer marketplace.

Conventional ground source heat pump systems operate on a simpleprinciple. In the heating mode they collect heat energy from the groundand transfer it to a heat pump, which concentrates the heat andtransfers it to a building's heat distribution system which in turnheats the building. In the cooling mode, heat from the building iscollected by the cooling system and transferred to the heat pump, whichconcentrates the energy and transfers it to a ground source loop, whichtransfers the heat to the ground. In both modes, only a small amount ofthe heat comes from the electricity that runs the compressor; most ofthe heating and cooling energy comes from the ground. This allows groundsource heat pump systems to achieve more than 100% efficiency: everyunit of electrical energy consumed by the heat pump produces moreuseable heat than an electrical resistance heater can produce with thesame unit of electricity.

Even though ground source heat pump systems achieve efficiencies of upto 350% compared to less than 100% for many conventional systems, theyhave been slow to penetrate the consumer marketplace because of highcapital costs, high installation costs, difficult installationprocedures and low energy cost savings due to historically low energyprices.

These high capital and installation costs have largely been due tofundamental inefficiencies in the ground loop subsystem. In a typicalinstallation, the ground loop consists of hundreds or thousands of feetof looped plastic piping buried in deep trenches or deep holes drilledinto the ground. An antifreeze solution is pumped through this loop toabsorb heat energy from the ground (in the heating mode) or transferheat energy to the ground (in the cooling mode.) Few installations havesufficient available land for trenching so loops are most commonlyinstalled in deep holes and this makes them relatively expensive forseveral reasons.

First, each loop consists of a supply and return line, which should fitdown the same hole. With an outer diameter of an inch or more for eachpipe and a tendency for these pipes to bow away from each other due tothe plastic material's memory of being coiled for shipment, the holeshould typically have a diameter of 4 to 6 inches to allow the loop tobe installed. Holes of this size are relatively expensive to drill andrequire heavy equipment that disrupts landscaping, making it expensiveto retrofit existing homes. Holes of this size also leave large voidsaround the loop that should be filled with materials such as bentoniteclay in order for heat to transfer from the ground to the loop, whichadds significantly to the cost of installation.

Second, having both supply and return lines in the same hole results inthermal “short circuiting” which reduces the efficiency of the loop. Inthe heating mode, for example, cool fluid from the heat pump absorbsheat from the ground as it goes down the supply line in the hole,cooling the ground around the pipe. When the warmed fluid comes back upthe hole in the return line, it passes through the ground that was justcooled, losing some of the heat it has just picked up. This lowers theefficiency of the loop so the loop should be made longer to compensate,adding to the cost of drilling and piping.

Third, for the ground loop to function, the antifreeze solution shouldbe pumped through hundreds or thousands of feet of small diameterpiping. This consumes a significant amount of electric energy, loweringthe overall efficiency of the system.

In recent years, a new ground source heat pump technology has evolved toovercome some of the inefficiencies of conventional systems. Thistechnology, called “direct geoexchange,” replaces the conventionalplastic ground loop with a small-diameter copper loop. Instead of anantifreeze solution, direct geoexchange systems pump a refrigerantthrough the loop to pick up heat from the ground or give off heat to theground in the same way that conventional ground loops function.

Direct geoexchange has some significant advantages over conventionalsystems. First, the direct geoexchange loop runs directly to and fromthe heat pump's compressor, eliminating the heat exchanger that isrequired by conventional systems to transfer heat from the loop to theheat pump. Second, the small diameter of the direct exchange loop makesit possible for loops to be installed in smaller diameter holes in theground; this reduces the cost of drilling and backfilling the holes andreduces the size of the drill rig required to drill the holes,decreasing damage to landscaping in retrofit applications. Third, thecopper pipes used in direct geoexchange transfer heat more efficientlyto and from the ground so the total length of loop required is typicallyless than conventional systems. Because of these improvements, directgeoexchange systems can be cheaper than conventional ground sourcesystems and more energy efficient.

In spite of these inherent advantages, direct geoexchange also has somesignificant disadvantages. First, both supply and return pipes run inthe same hole, so the thermal short circuit problems of conventionalsystems remain. Second, the loop system pumps much more refrigerantthrough many more feet of piping past many more connections thanconventional systems, so the potential for refrigerant leaks isincreased. Third, direct geoexchange requires large volumes ofrefrigerant to flow through the loop, behaving differently in theheating and cooling modes, and requiring additional refrigerantreservoirs and flow control systems to compensate. Because of theseinefficiencies, direct geoexchange is only able to achieve a modestimprovement in total energy efficiency over conventional ground sourceheat pump systems.

Direct geoexchange and conventional ground source heat pump systems haveadditional limitations. Both require a significant amount of electricalpower to pump fluids through hundreds or thousands of feet of piping.This not only limits overall system efficiency but also limits theenvironments in which it can be installed. This kind of power is notoften available or reliable in the world's developing countries, soexisting ground source heat pump systems have limited potential topenetrate broad world markets. In addition, since both systems aredesigned to heat and cool whole buildings, neither can efficiently beinstalled on the incremental room-by-room basis on which most of theworld adopts heating and air conditioning.

In summary, conventional geoexchange systems and direct expansiongeoexchange systems have significant limitations in energy efficiency,installation cost and installation flexibility.

There is a need, therefore, for a geothermal exchange system thatoperates in combination with a refrigerant heat intensification loop,utilizes less power than conventional refrigerant or coolant basedgeoexchange systems, results in lightweight heat exchangers that can beconfigured in a wide range of interior locations, has an extendedlifetime due to fewer parts, has reduced ground loop installation costsand provides enhanced cooling and heating efficiency compared to powerused.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a geothermal exchange system uses a refrigerant loopwith high heat transfer superconductor couplable to an earth source. Thesystem includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heatexchanger, each of the heat exchangers adapted to functioninterchangeably as an evaporator and a condenser, such that the firstheat exchanger is operable as an evaporator and the second heatexchanger is operable as a condenser when the system is operating incooling mode, and such that the first heat exchanger is operable as acondenser and the second heat exchanger is operable as an evaporatorwhen the system is operating in heating mode, at least one first conduitin communication with the compressor and each of the heat exchangers andadapted for carrying refrigerant through the system to each of the heatexchangers, the at least one conduit including a return conduit forcarrying refrigerant gas back to the compressor, a reversing valve incommunication with said at least one conduit and configured to reversethe flow of refrigerant from the compressor to the heat exchangersdepending upon whether the system is operating in the cooling mode orthe heating mode; and at least one of either an above-ground thermalsuperconductor segment thermally coupled to said second heat exchangeror a thermal interconnect thermally coupled to said second heatexchanger, and thermally couplable to a thermal superconductor segmentsuch that heat transfer losses are less than 20%.

When the system is operating in heating mode, the valve is activated todirect refrigerant pumped from the compressor through the at least oneconduit to the first heat exchanger where the refrigerant gas iscondensed into liquid, through the return conduit to the second heatexchanger where the liquid is vaporized into gas and heat is efficientlytransferred from earth source through the thermal superconductor, andback to the compressor via the return conduit; and such that when thesystem is operating in cooling mode, the valve is activated to directrefrigerant pumped from the compressor through the at least one conduitto the second heat exchanger where the refrigerant gas is condensed intoliquid and heat is efficiently transferred to earth source through thethermal superconductor, through the return conduit to the first heatexchanger wherein the liquid is vaporized into gas, and back to thecompressor via the return conduit.

In another embodiment, a cooling device using an efficient geothermalsystem with a high heat transfer superconductor couplable to an earthsource. The cooling device includes a compressor, a first heat exchangerand a second heat exchanger, such that the first heat exchanger isoperable as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger is operable as acondenser in a cooling mode, at least one first conduit in communicationwith the compressor and first heat exchanger and adapted for carryingrefrigerant through the system to each of the heat exchangers, the atleast one conduit including a return conduit for carrying refrigerantgas back to the compressor from the second heat exchanger, and at leastone of either an above-ground thermal superconductor segment thermallycoupled to said second heat exchanger or a thermal interconnectthermally coupled to said second heat exchanger, and thermally couplableto a thermal superconductor segment such that heat transfer losses areless than 20%, and such that refrigerant is pumped from the compressorthrough the at least one conduit to the second heat exchanger where therefrigerant gas is condensed into liquid and heat is efficientlytransferred to earth source through the thermal superconductor, therefrigerant transfers through the return conduit to the first heatexchanger wherein the liquid is vaporized into gas, and back to thecompressor via the return conduit.

In another embodiment, a heating device using an efficient geothermalsystem with high heat transfer superconductor couplable to an earthsource. The heating device includes, a compressor, a first heatexchanger and a second heat exchanger, such that the first heatexchanger is operable as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger isoperable as a condenser in a cooling mode at least one first conduit incommunication with the compressor and first heat exchanger and adaptedfor carrying refrigerant through the system to each of the heatexchangers, the at least one conduit including a return conduit forcarrying refrigerant gas back to the compressor from the second heatexchanger, and at least one of either an above-ground thermalsuperconductor segment thermally coupled to said second heat exchangeror a thermal interconnect thermally coupled to said second heatexchanger, and thermally couplable to a thermal superconductor segmentsuch that heat transfer losses are less than 20%, such that refrigerantis pumped from the compressor through the at least one conduit to thesecond heat exchanger where the refrigerant gas is condensed into liquidand heat is efficiently transferred to earth source through the thermalsuperconductor, the refrigerant transfers through the return conduit tothe first heat exchanger wherein the liquid is vaporized into gas, andback to the compressor via the return conduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchange systemwith thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to a reversingrefrigerant based heat pump.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematic of an efficient geothermalexchange system with a plurality of ground source components.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchange systemwith thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to a reversingrefrigerant based heat pump configured for air heat exchange.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram schematic of an efficient geothermalexchange system with thermal superconductor transfer from a groundsource to a reversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for directthermal exchange to a circulating fluid in a tank.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematic of an efficient geothermalexchange system with thermal superconductor transfer from a groundsource to a reversing refrigerant based heat pump configured forindirect thermal exchange to a circulating fluid by way of anintermediating fluid in a tank.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a geothermal cooling device with apower connector for manually powering the blower for additional air heattransfer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchange systemshowing separate housings for groups of system components. FIG. 7 ashows air exchange components housed separately from other components.FIG. 7 b illustrates an enclosure for air exchange components.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchange systemshowing separate housings for groups of system components, with airexchange components, ground source heat exchanger components andremaining above-ground components housed in separate enclosures.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchange systemwith thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to a reversingrefrigerant based heat pump.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for air heat exchange.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for direct thermalexchange to a circulating fluid in a tank.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for indirect thermalexchange to a circulating fluid by way of an intermediating fluid in atank.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for direct thermalexchange to a fluid loop.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem showing separate housings for groups of system components. FIG.14 a shows air exchange components housed separately from othercomponents. FIG. 14 b illustrates an enclosure for air exchangecomponents.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem showing separate housings for groups of system components, withair exchange components, ground source heat exchanger components andremaining above-ground components housed in separate enclosures.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem with thermal superconductor transfer from a ground source to areversing refrigerant based heat pump configured for air heat exchange.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem showing separate housings for groups of system components. FIG.18 a shows air exchange components housed separately from othercomponents. FIG. 18 b illustrates an enclosure for air exchangecomponents.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem showing separate housings for groups of system components, withair exchange components, ground source heat exchanger components andremaining above-ground components housed in separate enclosures.

FIG. 20 a is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangesystem couplable to a superconducting geoexchange ground loop. FIG. 20 bshows the ground source heat exchange component of the system of FIG. 20a configured to receive the end of a superconducting ground sourceelement, with direct metal-to-metal thermal conduction. FIG. 20 c showsthe ground source heat exchange component configured for indirectcoupling with a superconducting ground source element through anintermediating thermal paste.

FIG. 21 a shows a heat exchanger with a refrigerant coil wound around ametal sleeve that is configured to receive the end of a superconductingground source component. FIG. 21 b shows a heat exchanger with arefrigerant vessel surrounding a metal sleeve, which is configured toreceive the end of a superconducting ground source component.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangecooling system with a ground source heat exchange component configuredto receive a superconducting ground loop component.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of an efficient geothermal exchangecooling system with a ground source heat exchange component configuredto receive a superconducting ground loop component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

With reference to the drawings, new and improved heating and coolingdevices and geothermal exchange systems embodying the principles andconcepts of the present device will be described. In particular, thedevices and systems are applicable for climate control within structuresas well as more generally to bi-directional heat transfer to and fromearth sources. The embodiments shown in the attached figures satisfy theneed for a geothermal exchange system with improved thermal efficiency,lower installation cost and greater installation flexibility.

Recent advances in thermal superconducting materials can now beconsidered for use in novel energy transfer applications. For example,U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,823 and continuations thereof, discloses an exampleof a heat transfer medium with extremely high thermal conductivity, andis included herein by reference. Specifically the following disclosureindicates the orders of magnitude improvement in thermal conduction;“Experimentation has shown that a steel conduit 4 with medium 6 properlydisposed therein has a thermal conductivity that is generally 20,000times higher than the thermal conductivity of silver, and can reachunder laboratory conditions a thermal conductivity that is 30,000 timeshigher that the thermal conductivity of silver.” Such a medium isthermally superconducting. In this disclosure, the term superconductorshall interchangeably mean thermal superconductor or thermalsuperconductor heat pipe. The available product sold by Qu EnergyInternational Corporation is an inorganic heat transfer medium providedin a vacuum sealed heat conducting tube.

Alternate thermal superconductors may be equivalently substituted, suchas thermally superconducting heat pipes. Heat pipes typically include asealed container (pipe), working fluid and a wicking or capillarystructure inside the container. Heat is transported by anevaporation-condensation cycle when a thermal differential is presentbetween opposing ends. Working fluids can be selected with high surfacetension to generate a high capillary driving force such that thecondensate can migrate back to the evaporator portion, even againstgravity. Some working fluids useful for the geothermal operatingtemperature range include ammonia, acetone, methanol and ethanol. Insidethe tube, the liquid enters and wets the internal surfaces of thecapillary structure. Applying heat at one segment of the pipe, causesthe liquid at that point to vaporize picking up latent heat ofvaporization. The gas moves to a colder location where it condenses,giving up latent heat of vaporization. The heat transfer capacity of aheat pipe is proportional to the axial power rating, the energy movingaxially along the pipe. For maximum energy transfer the heat pipediameter should be increased and the length shortened, making itoperable but less preferred than a non-liquid superconductor such as theQu product. In particular with respect to the ground loop, scaled-upheat pipe designs have been disclosed for geothermal heatingapplications, such as in PCT Publication No. WO 86/00124 (“Improvementsin earth heat recovery systems”). These designs partially overcome thelength to diameter ratio problem but preferably require a recirculationpump for the fluid. A two-way heat pipe design for ventilationheat-exchanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,716, and could beused for non-ground loop transfer as a two-way thermal superconductor.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present device in which heat istransferred bi-directionally using a thermal superconducting medium,such as described above. Generally, heat is transferred to and from athermal superconductor earth source loop by a thermal superconductorheat exchange coil configured through a refrigerant loop subsystem withdirection of heat flow controlled by a standard reversing valve system.Specifically, superconductor geothermal exchange active components arepositioned above ground level 46 and couplable to a geothermal groundloop 48 formed from thermal superconductor and positioned in a groundloop hole 50. The ground loop refrigerant or coolant circulating loopsof conventional geoexchange systems are replaced with thermallysuperconducting transfer coils that are operable bi-directionally,resulting in many advantages of efficiency, reduced size, and fewercomponents. The ground loop thermal superconductor extends above groundlevel where it is covered by insulation 25 and terminated in a coupler44. For illustrative purposes, this superconductor may be in the form ofa sealed metal tube as currently available from Qu Corporation and willbe preferred to be in tube form. Alternatively other available thermalsuperconductors could be similarly substituted that may have variousforms and cross sections such as flexible conduits, thin laminate, thinfilm coated metal etc, that may be suitable depending on the site andsystem conditions.

In the preferred case, the depth of hole D is selected in combinationwith the thermal transfer properties of the thermal superconductorelement, the thermal transfer properties of the ground around hole D andthe maximum expected rate of heat transfer between the heating/coolingsystem and the ground, in order to provide a desired heating and coolingcapacity for the system. As in conventional geoexchange systems, thedepth of hole 50 may be greater than is practicable for a single hole,so a plurality of holes may be substituted to receive a plurality ofgeothermal heat exchange elements with an aggregate depth equal to orgreater than the required depth of a single hole. As shown in FIG. 2,this plurality of geothermal heat exchange units can be joined at orbelow coupler 44 in such a manner that they are equally able to transferheat to the ground. Due to the improved thermal transfer properties ofthe superconductor, the hole size and depth can be considerably lessthan conventional geoexchange loops, saving installation costs andincreasing the number of potential sites that can install geothermalexchange. Persons familiar with the technology involved here willrecognize that hole 50 may equivalently be a trench in the ground 46, oralternatively the ground 46 may equivalently be a body of water such asa pond, well, river, sea or the like and the meaning of ground usedherein shall include body of water. The coupler 44 couples between theground loop superconductor 48 and a ground link superconductor segment40 that transfers heat to and from a heat intensifier system, providingfor ease of installation and conduit routing prior to connection.Optionally, the coupler may be eliminated in a direct installationdesign.

The superconductor segment 40 extends in an uninsulated portion 42 to bein thermal contact with a heat exchange segment 68 of a refrigerant loopthat functions to circulate heat transferred to and from the groundloop, as shown in ground loop heat exchanger 66. The refrigerant loopcircuit forms a refrigerant transfer path which includes a compressor 20having outlet connected to refrigerant conduit 22 to a reversing valve28 through conduit 32 to a heat exchange segment 38 in space heatexchanger 36 to a conduit 60 connected to a directional expander 62 withconduit 64 to a ground heat exchanger 28 connected to a return conduit34, through the reversing valve 28 to conduit 21 and an optionalaccumulator 23 to a return conduit 24 to the inlet of the compressor 20.Persons familiar with the technology involved here will recognize thatthe space heat exchanger or ground heat exchanger are interoperable ascondenser or evaporator heat exchangers to provide heating or coolingmodes as the reversing valve 28 is switched from a first position to asecond position.

When the refrigerant loop as described is filled with a suitable amountof refrigerant, the compressor can be powered on to operate therefrigerant heat exchange circuit. In a heating mode example of the flowof refrigerant, the compressor 20 compresses a gaseous refrigerant tointensify its heat content, circulates it through conduit 22 to thespace heat exchanger 38 which acts as a condenser causing the gaseousrefrigerant to condense to a liquid (or partial liquid) before passingthrough conduit 60 to expander 62 which rapidly expands the liquid in apressure drop to change the refrigerant state to cooled vapor whichabsorbs heat at the evaporator heat exchanger 68 from the ground loopbefore passing through return conduit 34 to optional accumulator 23(where remaining liquid is trapped and vaporized) after which theremaining refrigerant transfers through conduit 24 to complete the loopat the compressor inlet. This creates a temperature differential betweenspace heat exchanger 38 and ground heat exchanger 68. In the preferredcase, the refrigerant heat exchangers are isolated by insulation 25 asshown. The reversing valve 28 functions to direct the refrigerant flowin alternate directions, which reverses the thermal function of the heatexchangers becoming condenser and evaporator in open mode and evaporatorand condenser in closed mode respectively. A thermal sensor 26 isassociated with the medium to be conditioned by space heat exchange coil38. A controller 16 is powered by power line 14 and provides power tocompressor 20 through control line 18 and reversing valve 28 throughcontrol line 30, as well as control data to and from thermal sensor 26.Space heat exchange coil 38 can be configured in any suitable geometricarrangement related to a structure to improve or optimize heat transferto a specific medium. Insulation 25 also preferably coverssuperconductor transfer segments outside of coupling connections andheat exchange sections, to reduce thermal transfer losses.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 110 is operated in eithera heating or cooling mode depending on the difference between the actualmeasured temperature and a desired set-point programmed in thethermostatic controller 16. For example, when the desired temperature ishigher than actual temperature the superconductor geothermal exchangesystem 110 is operated in a heating mode. In heating mode, reversingvalve 28 is opened such that space heat exchanger 38 operates as acondenser giving off heat and ground heat exchanger 68 operates as anevaporator receiving heat from ground link superconductor 40, whilecontroller 16 operates compressor 20. Heat is then efficientlytransferred from ground loop 48 to the ground heat exchanger 68, thenefficiently transferred through the refrigerating loop to space heatexchanger for related heating use. In the cooling mode example, when thedesired temperature is lower than actual temperature, the superconductorgeothermal exchange system 110 is operated in a cooling mode. In coolingmode, reversing valve 28 is closed such that space heat exchanger 38operates as an evaporator receiving heat and ground heat exchanger 68operates as a condenser giving off heat to ground link superconductor40, while controller 16 operates compressor 20. Heat is then efficientlytransferred from space heat exchanger 68 to ground loop 48 for relatedcooling use. The modes may simply switch on/off rather than oscillatebetween heating and cooling based on controller programming andaveraging forecasting.

The refrigerant loop circuit may have additional components as requiredto scale for larger energy applications. As known in the art ofconventional heat pump systems, such larger systems may have receivers,suction accumulators, bulb sensors, thermostatic expansion meteringvalves and the like to manage refrigerant flow through the circuit.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 110 attached to segment 40above coupler 44 can be enclosed a number of ways, depending onapplication. For example, the components shown could be housed insideone enclosure 12.

As will be apparent to persons familiar with the technology involvedhere, the coupler 44 could equivalently be alternatively positionedunder the ground, above ground outside a structure, inside a structurebut outside the housing 12, or even inside the housing 12, as selectedfor best ease of installation. Housing 12 may include ambient vents forconvective cooling of the compressor. A further embodiment of thesuperconductor geothermal exchange system 110 can eliminate the coupler44 by configuring the switch to have a ground loop receptacle to acceptthe termination of the superconductor ground loop 48 such that theground loop 48 can be separately installed from the rest of the system.

By changing the ground loop from a conventional fluid loop to asuperconductor element, geoexchange system 110 eliminates the energyrequired to circulate ground loop fluids and as a result uses less powerto operate, making it possible for new improved components to beutilized. For example, a low power compressor can be used, such as isavailable from Danfoss Corporation. In one embodiment the low powercompressor 20 can have power less than 4500 W. In an alternateembodiment the low power compressor 20 requires power less than 1800 W,making it suitable for common North American household outlets,resulting in more convenient installation that conventional systemsrequiring higher power.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 110 may operate fromconventional AC grid power, or, alternatively, from a DC power sourcesuch as a hydrogen fuel cell, a solar cell array, or a wind turbine orthe like. In either AC or DC power embodiments, individual componentsmay be AC or DC powered, with power conditioners provided as required(not shown), being delivered to the system 110 already conditionedexternally or delivered requiring additional conditioning, as will beapparent to persons familiar with the technology involved here. In theDC powered embodiment in which the components operate on a singlevoltage of DC power, low voltage alternative energy power may be useddirectly, without power conditioning, thereby reducing energy loss andpotentially eliminating the need for power conditioning devices.

Using the preferred thermal superconducting tubes, it is preferred tohave insulation along the length of the superconductor segments exceptheat exchanger coil segments or thermal transfer couplings to othercomponents, to limit heat loss and condensation buildup. Howeveralternate thermal superconductor embodiments may have integratedinsulating layers or have acceptable transfer loss such that thesuperconductor geothermal exchange system 110 is operable.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of system 110 of FIG. 1 in which therequired depth of hole 34 is greater than is practicable for a singlehole. In this embodiment, the single geothermal heat exchange element isreplaced with a plurality of such elements in a plurality of holes withan aggregate depth equal to or greater than the required depth of asingle hole. This plurality of geothermal heat exchange units can bejoined at or below coupler 44 in such a manner that they are equallyable to transfer heat to the ground.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 110 of FIG. 1 can beconfigured for air heating and cooling as shown in FIG. 3.Superconductor geothermal exchange system 120 is designed for airheating and cooling inside a structure, with the following modificationsand additions. Enclosure 12 has two vented regions to provide an inletand outlet for circulated air. Between the two vented regions is thespace heat exchanger coil 38, which is further insulated by insulation25 up to the coil. A blower 54 is positioned in proximity to the spaceheat exchanger 38 to pull or push air through the exchanger for heatingor cooling, the preferred position being near the outlet vent regionsuch that air is pulled over the space heat exchanger 38. The fan can bea low power, low throughput fan to conserve energy, or alternatively avariable speed fan. The preferred fan has operating noise less than 45dB and can be DC powered by an alternative energy source (not shown).Space heat exchanger 38 may be configured in many possible designsprovided sufficient net surface area is exposed to the air flow; theillustration of an array of bars substantially corresponding to the fandiameter is a preferred example. Alternatively, as is well known in theart of air heat exchangers, metal fins could be added to increase thesurface area of the heat exchanger. Blower 54 is connected to controller16 and power line 14 for control of fan operation. In the cooling mode,under some ambient conditions, condensate will form on the space heatexchanger 38, and an optional drip tray 56 is shown positioned below tocatch condensate and an optional water drain line 58 is shown connectedto drip tray for runoff disposal.

The controlled operation of the superconductor geothermal exchangesystem 120 is important for user comfort and control of heating andcooling. Controller 16 may be programmed as a thermostat controllerresponding to a temperature sensor 26 (such as a thermocouple)associated with the space to be heated or cooled, or as a controllerthat receives input from a remote thermostat and sensor associated withthe space (not shown). The controller is shown within the housing 12,but may alternatively be in any suitable location provided it is incommunication with the blower and temperature sensor. While the simplestimplementation is one temperature measurement, to persons familiar withthe technology involved here, multiple temperature measurements could beweighted or averaged for the purpose of feedback set points in thecontroller 16. In the case of a multi-speed fan, alternatively a secondtemperature sensor could be positioned on or near the space heatexchanger 38 to determine the initial fan speed for faster cooling.Unlike conventional central geothermal heat pumps, which are large,noisy and require greater power than available from a standard householdoutlet, the air exchange subsystem in enclosure 60 can be operated froma standard power outlet, anywhere in the house, quietly and in a smallform factor housing. The housing 60 for air exchange subsystem, may bepositioned anywhere within the interior room to be cooled or heated, anddoes not have to be near an exterior wall or window. Preferably thehousing is positioned to provide optimum air mixing and heating for theroom.

Operating modes are similar to those described for FIG. 1, with theadditional mode of operating the blower in combination with operatingthe intensifying compressor for improving the rate of heat exchange withthe air space to be conditioned. With the controller 16 set to a desiredroom temperature T1, via a manual input (not shown), or a remote controlinput, or a second remote thermostat (not shown) in communication withthe controller 16, the controller senses existing room temperature T2and if higher or lower than T1, switches reversing valve 28 to createappropriate heating or cooling circuit, operates the compressor 20 tocirculate heated refrigerant and operates blower 54 to circulate airuntil the temperature reaches T1. Alternatively, as common in the art,various thresholding or smoothing processes can be programmed to avoidjitter and determine when to switch the blower 54 on or off. In theexample of a multi-speed blower, the blower speed can be programmed tochange in response to the rate of change of existing temperature T2, inaddition to on or off. The superconductor geothermal exchange system 120can be programmed to operate for inputs that act as related proxies forassociated interior temperature and that have a known characterizedrelationship to temperature.

A further embodiment of the superconductor geothermal exchange system120 can eliminate the coupler 44 by configuring the switch to have aground loop receptacle portion to accept the termination of thesuperconductor ground loop 48, such that the ground loop 48 can beseparately installed from the rest of the system. Persons familiar withthe technology involved here will recognize that that there are manyequivalent designs to couple the ground loop superconductor to theswitch including intermediate coupler segments.

The superconductor geothermal exchange systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 havemany advantages that solve the problems described in the background, dueto the substantial efficiency increase relative to existing geoexchangesolutions. These efficiency gains result in coefficient of performanceof greater than 2 and potentially as high as 5 or more (relative to theefficiency of an electric resistance wire which is generally understoodto have a coefficient of performance of 1), beyond the limits ofconventional geoexchange. First, the hole depth of the geothermal earthsource loop can be less than conventional ground loop depth, reducingcosts and increasing qualifying sites. Second, by reducing the powerrequirements of the compressor and eliminating ground loop circulatingpumps, the power requirements of the geothermal cooling device aresubstantially less than conventional geothermal exchange units, whethercentral or for a single room, and permit the installation and operationon normal household circuits such as a 15 Ampere rated outlet. Third,the lightweight and small size of the exchange coil housing relative toexisting solutions, permits easy installation in a wide range oflocations and even installations of individual exchange units inmultiple rooms of a residence interior. Fourth, due to eliminatingground loop refrigerant and associated high power circulation pumps,system lifetimes are extended beyond conventional geoexchange.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 110 of FIG. 1 can beconfigured for heating and cooling a secondary liquid such as water,liquid solutions and the like, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. In FIG. 4,superconductor geothermal exchange system 130 is designed for heatingand cooling a secondary fluid 82 for use inside a structure, for exampleto heat domestic water or to heat water in a hydronic radiant floor,with the following modifications and additions. Heat exchanger element38 is immersed in a fluid 82 in tank 80 for the purpose of transferringheat to and from fluid 82. Fluid 82 is stored in tank 80 in a volumeresulting in a thermal mass and having storage temperature measured bysensor 84 connected to controller 16. The space heat exchanger 38 isarranged in the tank in contact with the exchange fluid 82, as shown.The fluid in the tank is circulated by a pump (not shown) out to aremote exchange location through outlet 88 and returned to the tank 80through inlet 86 with resultant change in fluid temperature. For thiscase, the remote exchange may be fluid-to-air, fluid-to-liquid or fluidto solid thermal mass and have an associated temperature sensor (notshown). Controller 16 is connected to operate power pump (not shown) forcirculation of secondary fluid, in combination with operating thesuperconductor geothermal exchange system in heating or cooling modes aspreviously described.

FIG. 5 shows another alternative configuration of geothermal exchangesystem 130 in which a fluid heat exchanger is configured to provideindirect heat transfer to and from an auxiliary fluid loop. In thisconfiguration, heat exchanger 38 is immersed in a non-circulating heattransfer fluid in a tank 85. A secondary circulating fluid enters tank85 through fluid inlet 81 and passes through a secondary heat exchangeloop, absorbing heat from heat transfer fluid (in the heating mode) orgiving up heat (in the cooling mode) before exiting tank 85 throughfluid outlet 83.

FIG. 6 shows another alternative configuration of geothermal exchangesystem 130 in which fluid heat exchanger 104 is configured to providedirect thermal transfer between heat exchange element 38 and a fluidloop 75 through thermal contact between the element and loop. In thisconfiguration, a fluid (not shown) such as water, a liquid solution or arefrigerant is circulated by a separate system (not shown) coupled toinlet 81 and outlet 83 and passes through fluid loop 75, transferringheat through the walls of fluid loop 75 walls, to or from heat exchangeelement 38 directly. As will be apparent to persons familiar with thetechnology involved here, such thermal contact can be provided bymetal-metal contact or by contact with an intermediate, localized heattransfer component such as a thermal paste and the like.

The above-ground components of the geothermal exchange systems describedin FIGS. 1 to 6 can be grouped in plurality of separate housings asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 a illustrates one embodiment of a suchsplit system in which remote housing 92 encloses the space heatexchanger 38, blower 54 expansion valve 62 a and associated inlet andoutlet conduit to transfer the incoming and outgoing refrigerant withthe other components in the refrigerant loop, and control line 30 a tooperate the fan 54. Optionally, drip tray and line 56, 58 andtemperature sensor 26 may be included. The expander may be eitherlocated in enclosure 12 as expander 62 or optionally in housing 92 asshown as expander 62 a. There are three advantages to a split housing.First, installation may be made easier by placing the elements coupledto the ground superconductor outside. Second, there is an advantage tohousing the noisy components such as the compressor in a separatehousing such that the noise level in the heating space is reduced.Third, as the compressor produces heat while operating, there is anadvantage to having it outside rather than having the extra heatdischarged into the space being cooled, reduce efficiency of the coolingmode. Further, the housing 12 could be located centrally in a structure,with enclosure 52 located remotely in a space to be heated or cooled, asshown by the example of enclosure 92 in FIG. 7 b. Alternatively, housing12 could be located exterior to a structure and connected throughsuperconductor transfer segment 38 to enclosure 52 located inside thestructure to be heated or cooled.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate exchange configuration in which heatexchanger 66 and related components are enclosed in enclosure 94 suchthat heat exchange between ground loop 48 and the refrigerant loop isaccomplished outside enclosure 12, allowing ground heat exchanger 66 tobe located at any point below, at or above ground level, making systeminstallation more flexible. Optional connectors 96 and 96 a enablesimplified interconnection of system components in some applications.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the present device in which heat istransferred in a heating only mode using a thermal superconductingmedium, such as described above, for a superconductor geothermal heatingdevice 150. Generally, heat is transferred from a thermal superconductorearth source loop by a thermal superconductor heat exchange coilconfigured through a refrigerant loop subsystem. Specifically,superconductor geothermal exchange active components are positionedabove ground level 46 and couplable to a geothermal ground loop 48formed from thermal superconductor and positioned in a ground loop hole50. The ground loop refrigerant or coolant circulating loops ofconventional geoexchange systems are replaced with thermallysuperconducting transfer coils that are operable bi-directionally,resulting in many advantages of efficiency, reduced size, and fewercomponents. The ground loop thermal superconductor extends above groundlevel where it is covered by insulation 25 and terminated in a coupler44. For illustrative purposes, this superconductor may be in the form ofa sealed metal tube as currently available from Qu Corporation and willbe preferred to be in tube form. Alternatively other available thermalsuperconductors could be similarly substituted that may have variousforms and cross sections such as flexible conduits, thin laminate, thinfilm coated metal etc, that may be suitable depending on the site andsystem conditions.

The superconductor segment 40 extends to be in thermal contact to anevaporator exchanger 68 of a refrigerant loop that functions tocirculate heat transferred from the ground loop. The refrigerant loopcircuit forms a refrigerant transfer path which includes a compressor 20having outlet connected to refrigerant conduit 22 to condenser heatexchanger 74 to a conduit 32 connected to an expander 62 with conduit 64to evaporator heat exchanger 72 connected to a return conduit 34,through an optional accumulator 23 to a return conduit 24 to the inletof the compressor 20.

When the refrigerant loop as described is filled with a suitable amountof refrigerant, the compressor may be powered on to operate therefrigerant heat exchange circuit. In a the heating mode, the compressor20 compresses a gaseous refrigerant to intensify its heat content,circulates it through conduit 22 to the condenser heat exchanger 74where the hot refrigerant vapor gives up heat and condenses to a liquidor partial liquid before passing through conduit 60 to expander 62 wherethe liquid refrigerant is expanded in a pressure drop to change state,becoming cooled vapor which enters evaporator heat exchanger 72 andabsorbs heat from the ground loop before passing through return conduit34 to optional accumulator 23 (where remaining liquid is trapped andvaporized) before the refrigerant transfers through conduit 24 tocomplete the loop at the compressor inlet. This creates a temperaturedifferential between the condenser heat exchanger 74 and evaporator heatexchanger 72. In the preferred case, heat exchangers 74 and 72 areisolated by insulation 25 (not shown.) A thermal sensor 26 is associatedwith the medium to be conditioned by condenser heat exchanger 74. Acontroller 16 is powered by power line 14 and provides power tocompressor 20 and reversing valve 28, as well as control data to andfrom thermal sensor 26. Condenser heat exchanger 74 can be configured inany suitable geometric arrangement related to a structure to improve oroptimize heat transfer to a specific medium. Insulation 25 alsopreferably covers superconductor transfer segments outside of couplingconnections and heat exchange sections, to reduce thermal transferlosses.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 150 is operable dependingon the difference between the actual measured temperature and a desiredset-point programmed in the thermostatic controller 16. For example,when the desired temperature is higher than actual temperature thesuperconductor geothermal exchange system 150 is operated. Heat is thenefficiently transferred from ground loop 48 to the evaporator heatexchanger 72, then efficiently transferred through the refrigeratingloop to condenser heat exchanger for related heating use.

The superconductor geothermal exchange system 150 attached to segment 40above coupler 44 can be enclosed a number of ways, depending onapplication. For example, the components as shown could be housed insideone enclosure 12. Alternatively thermal superconductor segments 40 and42 can be installed at a later time. As will be apparent to personsfamiliar with the technology involved here, the coupler 44 couldequivalently be alternatively positioned under the ground, above groundoutside a structure, inside a structure but outside the housing 12, oreven inside the housing 12, as selected for best ease of installation.Housing 12 may include ambient vents for convective cooling of thecompressor. A further embodiment of the superconductor geothermalexchange system 150 can eliminate the coupler 44 by configuring theswitch to have a ground loop receptacle to accept the termination of thesuperconductor ground loop 48 such that the ground loop 48 can beseparately installed from the rest of the system.

The superconductor geothermal heating device 150 of FIG. 9, can beconfigured for air heating as shown in FIG. 10. Superconductorgeothermal heating device 160 is designed for air heating inside astructure, with the following modifications and additions. Enclosure 12has two vented regions to provide an inlet and outlet for circulatedair. Between the two vented regions is the evaporator exchanger 38,which is further insulated by insulation 25 up to the coil. A blower 54is positioned in proximity to the evaporator heat exchanger 74 to pullor push air through the exchanger for heating, the preferred positionbeing near the outlet vent region such that air is pulled over heatexchanger 74. The fan can be a low power, low throughput fan to conserveenergy, or alternatively a variable speed fan. The preferred fan hasoperating noise less than 45 dB and can be DC powered by an alternativeenergy source (not shown). Evaporator heat exchanger 74 may beconfigured in many possible designs provided sufficient net surface areais exposed to the air flow; the illustration of an array of barssubstantially corresponding to the fan diameter, is a preferred example.Alternatively, as is well known in the art of air heat exchangers, metalfins could be added to increase the surface area of the heat exchanger.Blower 54 is connected to controller 16 and power line 14 for control offan operation.

The controlled operation of the superconductor geothermal exchangesystem 160 is important for user comfort and control of heating.Controller 16 may be programmed as a thermostat controller responding toa temperature sensor 26 (such as a thermocouple) associated with thespace to be heated, or as a controller that receives input from a remotethermostat and sensor associated with the space (not shown). Thecontroller is shown within the housing 12, but may alternatively be inany suitable location provided it is in communication with the blowerand temperature sensor. While the simplest implementation is onetemperature measurement, persons familiar with the technology involvedhere will recognize that multiple temperature measurements could beweighted or averaged for the purpose of feedback set points in thecontroller 16. In the case of a multi-speed fan, alternatively a secondtemperature sensor could be positioned on or near the space heatexchanger 74 to determine the initial fan speed for faster heating.Unlike conventional central geothermal heat pumps, which are large,noisy and require greater power than available from a standard householdoutlet, the air exchange subsystem in enclosure 60 can be operated froma standard power outlet, anywhere in the house, quietly and in a smallform factor housing. The housing 60 for air exchange subsystem, may bepositioned anywhere within the interior room to be heated, and does nothave to be near an exterior wall or window. Preferably the housing ispositioned to provide optimum air mixing and heating or cooling for theroom.

Operating mode is similar as described for FIG. 9, with the additionalmode of operating the blower in combination with operating thecompressor for improving the rate of heat exchange with the air space tobe conditioned. With the controller 16 set to a desired room temperatureT1, via a manual input (not shown), or a remote control input, or asecond remote thermostat (not shown) in communication with thecontroller 16, the controller senses existing room temperature T2 and iflower than T1, operates the compressor 20 to circulate heatedrefrigerant and operates blower 54 to circulate air until thetemperature reaches T1. Alternatively, as common in the art, variousthresholding or smoothing processes can be programmed to avoid jitterand determine when to switch the blower 54 on or off. In the example ofa multi-speed blower, the blower speed can be programmed to change inresponse to the rate of change of existing temperature T2, in additionto on or off. The superconductor geothermal exchange system 160 can beprogrammed to operate for inputs that act as related proxies forassociated interior temperature and that have a known characterizedrelationship to temperature.

A further embodiment of the superconductor geothermal exchange system160 can eliminate the coupler 44 by configuring the evaporator heatexchanger 68 to have a receptacle portion to accept the termination ofthe superconductor ground loop 48, such that the ground loop 48 can beseparately installed from the rest of the system. Persons familiar withthe technology involved here will recognize that that there are manyequivalent designs to couple the ground loop superconductor to theswitch including intermediate coupler segments.

The superconductor geothermal heating devices of FIGS. 9 and 10 havemany advantages that solve the problems described in the background, dueto the substantial efficiency increase relative to existing geothermalheating solutions. These efficiency gains result in coefficient ofperformance of greater than 2 and potentially as high as 5 or more,beyond the limits of conventional geothermal heating. First, byincreasing system efficiency, the hole depth of the geothermal earthsource loop can be less than conventional ground loop depth, reducingcosts and increasing qualifying sites. Second, by reducing the powerrequirements of the compressor and eliminating ground loop circulatingpumps, the power requirements of the geothermal cooling device aresubstantially less than conventional geothermal exchange units, whethercentral or for a single room, and permit the installation and operationon normal household circuits such as a 15 Ampere rated outlet. Third,the lightweight and small size of the exchange coil housing relative toexisting solutions, permits easy installation in a wide range oflocations and even installations of individual exchange units inmultiple rooms of a residence interior. Fourth, due to eliminatingground loop refrigerant and associated high power circulation pumps,system lifetimes are extended beyond conventional geoexchange.

The superconductor geothermal heating device 150 of FIG. 9, can beconfigured for heating a secondary liquid such as water, liquidsolutions and the like, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13. In FIG. 11,superconductor geothermal exchange system 170 is designed for heatingand cooling a secondary exchange fluid 82 for use inside a structure,with the following modifications and additions to heating device 150.Heat exchanger element 38 is immersed in a fluid 82 in tank 80 for thepurpose of transferring heat to and from fluid 82. Fluid 82 is stored intank 80 in a volume resulting in a thermal mass and having storagetemperature measured by sensor 84 connected to controller 16 throughcontrol line 90. The space heat exchanger 38 is arranged in the tank incontact with the exchange fluid 82, as shown. The fluid in the tank iscirculated by a pump (not shown) out to a remote exchange locationthrough outlet 88 and returned to the tank 80 through inlet 86 withresultant change in fluid temperature. For this case, the remoteexchange may be fluid-to-air, fluid-to-liquid or fluid to solid thermalmass and have an associated temperature sensor (not shown). Controller16 is connected to operate power pump (not shown) for circulation ofsecondary fluid, in combination with operating the superconductorgeothermal exchange system in heating or cooling modes as previouslydescribed.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, a fluid heat exchanger can beconfigured to provide indirect heat transfer to and from an auxiliaryfluid loop. In this configuration, heat exchanger 38 is immersed in anon-circulating heat transfer fluid in a tank 85. A secondarycirculating fluid (not shown) enters tank 85 through fluid inlet 81 andpasses through heat exchange loop 89, absorbing heat from heat transferfluid 87 (in the heating mode) or giving up heat (in the cooling mode)before exiting tank 85 through fluid outlet 83.

FIG. 13 shows another alternative configuration in which the fluid heatexchanger is configured in tank 104 to provide direct thermal transferbetween heat exchange element 38 and a fluid loop 75 through thermalcontact between the two elements. In this configuration, a fluid (notshown) such as water, a liquid solution or a refrigerant is circulatedby a separate system (not shown) and passes through fluid loop 75,transferring heat through the walls of fluid loop 75 walls, to or fromheat exchange element 38 directly. As will be apparent to personsfamiliar with the technology involved here, such thermal contact can beprovided by metal-metal contact or by contact with an intermediate,localized heat transfer component such as a thermal paste and the like.Exchange fluid is typically in exchange with a second liquid or airexchanger for use in heating such as floor or radiator heating, domesticwater heating. Fluid may alternatively be distributed and circulated fordistributed exchange.

The above-ground components of the geothermal exchange systems describedin FIGS. 9 to 13 can be grouped in plurality of separate housings asshown in FIGS. 14 a, 14 b and 15. FIG. 14 a illustrates an embodiment inwhich the condenser exchanger is located remotely in housing 92. Housing92 encloses the condenser exchanger 74, blower 54, expansion valve 62 aand associated inlet and outlet conduit to transfer the incoming andoutgoing refrigerant with the other components in the refrigerant loop.Control line 30 a is connected between the two housings for controllingthe fan 54. Optionally, temperature sensor 26 may be included. There aretwo advantages to a split housing. First, installation may be madeeasier by placing the elements coupled to the ground superconductoroutside. Second, there is an advantage to housing the noisy componentssuch as compressor in a separate housing such that the noise level inthe heating and cooling space is reduced. Further, the housing 12 couldbe located centrally in a structure, with enclosure 52 located remotelyin a space to be heated, as shown by the example of enclosure 92 in FIG.14 b. Alternatively, housing 12 could be located exterior to a structureand connected through superconductor transfer segment 38 to enclosure 52located inside the structure to be heated. Similarly, as shown in FIG.15, split housing enclosures can be configured for alternate exchangeconfigurations with the appropriate relocation of heat exchange relatedcomponents. In this figure, heat exchanger 66 and related components areenclosed in enclosure 94 such that heat exchange between ground loop 48and the refrigerant loop happens outside enclosure 12, allowing groundheat exchanger 66 to be located at any suitable point below, at or aboveground level, making system installation more flexible. Optionalconnectors 96 and 96 a enable simplified interconnection of systemcomponents in some applications.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of the present device in which heat istransferred in a cooling only mode, using a thermal superconductingmedium such as described above, for a superconductor geothermal coolingdevice 190. Generally, heat is transferred to a thermal superconductorearth source loop by a thermal superconductor heat exchange coilconfigured through a refrigerant loop subsystem. Specifically,superconductor geothermal exchange active components are positionedabove ground level 46 and couplable to a geothermal ground loop 48formed from thermal superconductor and positioned in a ground loop hole50. The ground loop refrigerant or coolant circulating loops ofconventional geoexchange systems are replaced with thermallysuperconducting transfer coils that are operable bi-directionally,resulting in many advantages of efficiency, reduced size, and fewercomponents. The ground loop thermal superconductor extends above groundlevel where it is covered by insulation 25 and terminated in a coupler44. For illustrative purposes, this superconductor may be in the form ofa sealed metal tube as currently available from Qu Corporation and willbe preferred to be in tube form. Alternatively other available thermalsuperconductors could be similarly substituted that may have variousforms and cross sections such as flexible conduits, thin laminate, thinfilm coated metal etc, that may be suitable depending on the site andsystem conditions.

The superconductor segment 40 extends to be in thermal contact to acondenser exchanger 68 of a refrigerant loop that functions to circulateheat to the ground loop. The refrigerant loop circuit forms arefrigerant transfer path which includes a compressor 20 having outletconnected to refrigerant conduit 22 to a condenser exchanger 76 to aconduit 32 connected to an expander 62 with conduit 64 to an evaporatorexchanger 78 connected to a return conduit 34, through an optionalaccumulator 23 to a return conduit 24 to the inlet of the compressor 20.

When the refrigerant loop as described is filled with a suitable amountof refrigerant, the refrigerant heat exchange circuit is operated bypowering the compressor. In a cooling mode, the compressor 20 compressesa gaseous refrigerant to intensify its heat content, circulates itthrough conduit 22 to the condenser exchanger 76 where it gives up heatto the ground loop acting as a condenser, and then passes throughconduit 60 to expander 62 which rapidly expands liquid in a pressuredrop to change the refrigerant state to cooled vapor which absorbs heatat the evaporator exchanger 78 before passing through return conduit 34to optional accumulator 23 (where remaining liquid is trapped andvaporized) and remaining refrigerant transfers through conduit 24 tocomplete the loop at the compressor inlet. This creates a temperaturedifferential between evaporator exchanger 78 and condenser exchanger 76.In the preferred case, the refrigerant heat exchangers are isolated byinsulation 25 as shown. A thermal sensor 26 is associated with themedium to be conditioned by evaporator exchanger 78. A controller 16 ispowered by power line 14 and provides power to compressor 20 andreversing valve 28, as well as control data to and from thermal sensor26. Evaporator exchanger 78 can be configured in any suitable geometricarrangement related to a structure to improve or optimize heat transferto a specific medium. Insulation 25 also preferably coverssuperconductor transfer segments outside of coupling connections andheat exchange sections, to reduce thermal transfer losses.

The superconductor geothermal cooling device 190 is controlled dependingon the difference between the actual measured temperature and a desiredset-point programmed in the thermostatic controller 16. For example,when the desired temperature is lower than actual temperature thesuperconductor geothermal cooling device 190 is operated in a coolingmode. In cooling mode, heat is collected at the condenser exchanger,transferred through the refrigerating loop then efficiently transferredto ground loop 48 from the condenser exchanger 76, for related coolinguse.

The superconductor geothermal cooling device 190 attached to segment 40above coupler 44 can be enclosed a number of ways, depending onapplication. For example, the components as shown could be housed insideone enclosure 12. Alternatively thermal superconductor segments 40 and42 can be installed at a later time. As will be apparent to personsfamiliar with the technology involved here, the coupler 44 couldequivalently be alternatively positioned under the ground, above groundoutside a structure, inside a structure but outside the housing 12, oreven inside the housing 12, as selected for best ease of installation.Housing 12 may include ambient vents for convective cooling of thecompressor. A further embodiment of the superconductor geothermalcooling device 190 can eliminate the coupler 44 by configuring theswitch to have a ground loop receptacle to accept the termination of thesuperconductor ground loop 48 such that the ground loop 48 can beseparately installed from the rest of the system.

The superconductor geothermal cooling device 190 of FIG. 16, can beconfigured for air cooling as shown in FIG. 17. Superconductorgeothermal cooling system 200 is designed for air cooling inside astructure, with the following modifications and additions. Enclosure 12has two vented regions to provide an inlet and outlet for circulatedair. Between the two vented regions is the evaporator exchanger 78,which is further insulated by insulation 25 up to the coil. A blower 54is positioned in proximity to the evaporator exchanger 78 to pull orpush air through the exchanger for cooling, the preferred position beingnear the outlet vent region such that air is pulled over the evaporatorexchanger 78. The fan can be a low power, low throughput fan to conserveenergy, or alternatively a variable speed fan. The preferred fan hasoperating noise less than 45 dB and can be DC powered by an alternativeenergy source (not shown). Evaporator exchanger 78 may be configured inmany possible designs provided sufficient net surface area is exposed tothe air flow; the illustration of an array of bars substantiallycorresponding to the fan diameter, is a preferred example.Alternatively, as is well known in the art of air heat exchangers, metalfins could be added to increase the surface area of the heat exchanger.Blower 54 is connected to controller 16 and power line 14 for control offan operation. Under some ambient conditions, condensate will form onthe evaporator exchanger 78, and an optional drip tray 56 is shownpositioned below to catch condensate and an optional water drain line 58is shown connected to drip tray for runoff disposal.

The controlled operation of the superconductor geothermal cooling device200 is important for user comfort and control of cooling. Controller 16may be programmed as a thermostat controller responding to a temperaturesensor 26 (such as a thermocouple) associated with the space to beheated, or as a controller that receives input from a remote thermostatand sensor associated with the space (not shown). The controller isshown within the housing 12, but may alternatively be in any suitablelocation provided it is in communication with the blower and temperaturesensor. While the simplest implementation is one temperaturemeasurement, persons familiar with the technology involved here willrecognize that multiple temperature measurements could be weighted oraveraged for the purpose of feedback set points in the controller 16. Inthe case of a multi-speed fan, alternatively a second temperature sensorcould be positioned on or near the space heat exchanger 38 to determinethe initial fan speed for faster cooling. Unlike conventional centralgeothermal heat pumps, which are large, noisy and require greater powerthan available from a standard household outlet, the air exchangesubsystem in enclosure 12 can be operated from a standard power outlet,anywhere in the house, quietly and in a small form factor housing.Preferably the housing is positioned to provide optimum air mixing andcooling for the room.

Operating modes are similar as described for FIG. 16, with theadditional mode of operating the blower in combination with operatingthe compressor for improving the rate of heat exchange with the airspace to be conditioned. With the controller 16 set to a desired roomtemperature T1, via a manual input (not shown), or a remote controlinput, or a second remote thermostat (not shown) in communication withthe controller 16, the controller senses existing room temperature T2and if higher than T1, operates the compressor 20 to circulate heatedrefrigerant and operates blower 54 to circulate air until thetemperature reaches T1. Alternatively, as common in the art, variousthresholding or smoothing processes can be programmed to avoid jitterand determine when to switch the blower 54 on or off. In the example ofa multi-speed blower, the blower speed can be programmed to change inresponse to the rate of change of existing temperature T2, in additionto on or off, such that cooling device 200 maintains optimal thermalcomfort in a space while minimizing fan noise, compressor noise andsystem cycling. The superconductor geothermal cooling device 200 canalso be programmed to operate for inputs that act as related proxies forassociated interior temperature and that have a known characterizedrelationship to temperature.

A further embodiment of the superconductor geothermal cooling device 200can eliminate the coupler 44 by configuring the condenser exchanger 76to have a receptacle portion to accept the termination of thesuperconductor ground loop 48, such that the ground loop 48 can beseparately installed from the rest of the system. Persons familiar withthe technology involved here will recognize that that there are manyequivalent designs to couple the ground loop superconductor to theswitch including intermediate coupler segments.

The above-ground components of the geothermal exchange systems describedin FIGS. 16 and 17 can be grouped in plurality of separate housings asshown in FIGS. 18 a, 18 b and 19. FIG. 18 a illustrates an embodiment inwhich the condenser exchanger is located remotely in housing 92. Housing92 encloses the condenser exchanger 74, blower 54, expansion valve 62and associated inlet and outlet conduit to transfer the incoming andoutgoing refrigerant with the other components in the refrigerant loop.Optionally, drip tray and line 56, 58 and temperature sensor 26 may beincluded. There are three advantages to a split housing. First,installation may be made easier by placing the elements coupled to theground superconductor outside. Second, there is an advantage to housingthe noisy components such as compressor in a separate housing such thatthe noise level in the heating and cooling space is reduced. Third, asthe compressor produces heat while operating, there is an advantage tohaving it outside rather than having the extra heat reduce effectivenessof cooling the space in cooling mode. Further, the housing 12 could belocated centrally in a structure, with enclosure 52 located remotely ina space to be heated, as shown by the example of enclosure 92 in FIG. 18b. Alternatively, housing 12 could be located exterior to a structureand connected through superconductor transfer segment 38 to enclosure 52located inside the structure to be heated. Similarly, as shown in FIG.19, split enclosures can be configured for alternate exchangeconfigurations with the appropriate relocation of heat exchange relatedcomponents. In this figure, heat exchanger 66 and related components areenclosed in enclosure 94 such that heat exchange between ground loop 48and the refrigerant loop happens outside enclosure 12, allowing groundheat exchanger 66 to be located at any suitable point below, at or aboveground level, making system installation more flexible. Optionalconnectors 96 and 96 a enable simplified interconnection of systemcomponents in some applications.

The superconductor geothermal cooling devices of FIGS. 16 through 19have many advantages that solve the problems described in thebackground, due to the substantial energy efficiency and cost efficiencyincreases relative to existing geothermal cooling solutions. Theseefficiency gains result in coefficient of performance of greater than 2and potentially as high as 5 or more, beyond the limits of conventionalgeothermal cooling. First, the hole depth of the geothermal earth sourceloop can be less than conventional ground loop depth, reducing costs andincreasing qualifying sites. Second, by reducing the power requirementsof the compressor and eliminating ground loop circulating pumps, thepower requirements of the geothermal cooling device are substantiallyless than conventional geothermal exchange units, whether central or fora single room, and permit the installation and operation on normalhousehold circuits such as a 15 Ampere rated outlet. Third, thelightweight and small size of the exchange coil housing relative toexisting solutions, permits easy installation in buildings. Fourth, dueto eliminating ground loop refrigerant and associated high powercirculation pumps, system lifetimes are extended beyond conventionalgeoexchange.

The thermal superconductor geoexchange systems and heating and coolingdevices described herein are couplable or connectable to a thermalsuperconductor element. The systems may be assembled from subsystemshaving no thermal superconductor elements, but with the addition of asuperconductor heat exchange interconnect thermally coupled to groundloop heat exchanger 68, 72 or 76. The heat exchange interconnectpreferably limits increases in heat transfer resistance to less than 15%when connected to a thermal superconductor, and is easily coupled to atube or rod shaped thermal superconductor.

Examples of such interconnections are shown in FIGS. 20 a, 20 b and 20c. FIG. 20 a illustrates a geothermal heating and cooling system 200couplable to a superconducting earth source ground loop throughsuperconductor heat exchange interconnect 102. FIG. 20 b illustrates oneembodiment of such a ground source heat exchanger incorporatingsuperconductor heat exchange interconnect 102 in the form of a tubularopening in a metal block 66 that is coupled with heat exchanger throughports 34 and 64. This tubular opening has a diameter slightly largerthan corresponding uninsulated thermal superconductor tube 42, such thatwhen thermal superconductor tube 42 is inserted in the hole, it directlycontacts the surface of the metal block and heat is transferred betweenthe superconductor tube and the heat exchanger. The tube may havesecuring fasteners 108 on at least one side to maintain the thermalsuperconductor from moving. FIG. 20 c shows an alternate embodiment ofthe coupling shown in FIG. 20 b. In this embodiment, the diameter of thetubular opening that forms superconductor heat exchange interconnect 102is significantly larger than the corresponding thermal superconductortube 42 such that when the superconductor tube is inserted in the hole,a gap is formed between the superconductor tube and the walls of thetubular hole. When the gap is filled with a thermal paste, heat istransferred between the thermal superconductor tube and the heatexchanger through the thermal paste. Persons familiar with thetechnology involved here will recognize that it may be necessary ordesirable to provide a seal at the opening of superconductor heatexchange interconnect 102 to keep the thermal paste in the gap betweenthe thermal transfer surfaces.

FIG. 21 shows two alternative configurations for coupling superconductorheat exchange interconnect 102 and ground loop heat exchangers 68, 72 or76. In FIG. 21 a, a heat exchange coil 68 is arranged in a tight woundcoil around superconductor heat exchange interconnect 102 b which isconfigured as a metal tube having an opening to receive a tubularsuperconductor segment, and couples through ports 34 b and 64 b. In FIG.21 b, the heat exchanger is configured as a sleeve with a cavity 106suitable for receiving a thermal superconductor tube, with therefrigerant flowing through the sleeve to transfer heat through theinner sleeve surface and coupled to the refrigerant loop through ports34 c and 64 c. At the sleeve cavity opening, there maybe a refrigerantcollector to couple the refrigerant to the exchange loop. Theinterconnect may have multiple sleeve openings for coupling multiplethermal superconductor ground loops. The thermal interconnect will bepreferably rigid to maintain uniform flow conditions for therefrigerant.

FIG. 22 illustrates a geothermal heating system 210 suitable forcoupling to a superconducting earth source ground loop throughsuperconductor heat exchange interconnect 102 in the same mannerdescribed in FIG. 20 for system 200. System 210, when coupled tosuperconductor ground loop, can be operated and additionally configuredwith reference to FIGS. 9-15.

FIG. 23 illustrates a geothermal cooling system 220 suitable forcoupling to a superconducting earth source ground loop throughsuperconductor heat exchange interconnect 102 in the same mannerdescribed in FIG. 20 for system 200. System 220, when coupled tosuperconductor ground loop, can be operated and additionally configuredwith reference to FIGS. 16-19.

In these examples and embodiments described, insulation has been shownon superconductor segments which function to transfer heat internallyfrom one location to another, and insulation is not shown on ends ofthese segments which function to transfer heat to air, fluids or otheror other system components. This is the preferred example, whether ornot explicitly stated in figure descriptions or numbered on drawings.However, as noted previously, the superconductor geothermal coolingdevices described will operate with no insulation or with some transferlines insulated or combinations of insulated or uninsulated portions ofthe superconductors thereof.

In these examples housing has been described as split housing in apreferred case, however it will be appreciated that the variousembodiments can be integrated into existing structures or enclosed in asingle housing.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described byway of example, it will be appreciated that additions, modifications andalternatives thereto may be envisaged. The scope of the presentdisclosure includes any novel feature or combination of featuresdisclosed therein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalizationthereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimedinvention or mitigates any or all of the problems addressed by thepresent invention. The applicant hereby gives notice that new claims maybe formulated to such features during the prosecution of thisapplication or of any such further application derived there from. Inparticular, with reference to the appended claims, features fromdependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claimsand features from respective independent claims may be combined in anyappropriate manner and not merely in the specific combinationsenumerated in the claims.

1. A geothermal exchange system employing a refrigerant loop with highheat transfer superconductor couplable to earth source, the systemcomprising: (a) a compressor; (b) a first heat exchanger and a secondheat exchanger, each of said heat exchangers adapted to functioninterchangeably as an evaporator and a condenser, wherein said firstheat exchanger is operable as an evaporator and said second heatexchanger is operable as a condenser when said system is operating in acooling mode, and wherein said first heat exchanger is operable as acondenser and said second heat exchanger is operable as an evaporatorwhen said system is operating in a heating mode; (c) at least one firstconduit in communication with said compressor and each of said heatexchangers and adapted for carrying refrigerant through said system toeach of said heat exchangers, said at least one conduit including areturn conduit for carrying refrigerant gas back to said compressor; (d)a reversing valve in communication with said at least one conduit andconfigured to reverse the flow of refrigerant from said compressor tosaid heat exchangers depending upon whether said system is operating insaid cooling mode or said heating mode; (e) at least one of: (1) anabove-ground thermal superconductor segment thermally coupled to saidsecond heat exchanger; (2) a thermal interconnect thermally coupled tosaid second heat exchanger, and thermally couplable to a thermalsuperconductor segment such that heat transfer losses are less than 20%;whereby, when said system is operating in heating mode, said valve isactivated to direct refrigerant pumped from said compressor through saidat least one conduit to said first heat exchanger where said refrigerantgas is condensed into liquid, through said return conduit to said secondheat exchanger where said liquid is vaporized into gas and heat isefficiently transferred from earth source through at least one of saidthermal superconductor and said thermal interconnect, and back to saidcompressor via said return conduit; and whereby, when said system isoperating in cooling mode, said valve is activated to direct refrigerantpumped from said compressor through said at least one conduit to saidsecond heat exchanger where said refrigerant gas is condensed intoliquid and heat is efficiently transferable to earth source through atleast one of said thermal superconductor and said thermal interconnect,through said return conduit to said first heat exchanger wherein saidliquid is vaporized into gas, and back to said compressor via saidreturn conduit.
 2. The geothermal exchange system of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one exterior thermally superconducting ground coilformed from a high heat transfer superconducting material, extendingbelow a surface of earth allowing passive thermal conduction to theearth source and couplable to at least one of said thermalsuperconductor and said thermal interconnect.
 3. The geothermal exchangesystem of claim 1, further comprising a thermostat controller associatedwith said first heat exchanger and in communication with said reversingvalve and said compressor, for controlling the valve and resultantheating or cooling mode in response to the difference between a desiredtemperature set point and a measured temperature set point received bythe thermostat.
 4. The geothermal exchange system of claim 1, whereinsaid thermal superconductor material is an inorganic high heat transfermedium.
 5. The geothermal exchange system of claim 4, wherein said highheat transfer medium is applied in a sealed heat transfer pipe.
 6. Thegeothermal exchange system of claim 5, wherein said heat transfer pipecontaining said high heat transfer medium is insulated above groundalong a heat transfer segment extending up to said thermal coupling tosaid second heat exchanger, said heat transfer pipe having thermalconductivity greater than 100 times the thermal conductivity of silver,and substantially negligible heat loss along said heat transfer segment.7. The geothermal exchange system of claim 3, further comprising ablower positioned proximal to said first heat exchanger, and whereinsaid thermostat controller is connected to said blower to controloperation in response to the difference between said set point and saidmeasured temperature for the purpose of heating and cooling inside air.8. The geothermal exchange system of claim 3, further comprising anauxiliary heat exchanger coupled to said first heat exchanger, for thepurpose of exchanging heat from or to said geothermal exchange system.9. The geothermal exchange system of claim 7, wherein said first heatexchanger is coupled to a sealable insulated enclosure, for the purposeof refrigerating the interior of said enclosure.
 10. The geothermalexchange system of claim 3, further comprising a secondary interior heatexchanger coupled to said first heat exchanger, for the purpose ofexchanging heat in one of said heating and cooling modes.
 11. Thegeothermal exchange system of claim 10, wherein said secondary heatexchanger uses liquid for heat transfer.
 12. The geothermal exchangesystem of claim 11, wherein said liquid is water used for floor heatingof said interior space.
 13. The geothermal exchange system of claim 11,wherein said liquid is water used for domestic purposes.
 14. Thegeothermal exchange system of claim 11, wherein said liquid is greywaterused for heat recovery.
 15. The geothermal exchange system of claim 7,further comprising: a first enclosure housing said compressor, saidsecond heat exchanger, said controller and said reversing valve; and asecond enclosure housing said first heat exchanger and said blowerpositioned proximal to said segment, and having at least one vent formedtherein; wherein said first enclosure has openings formed therein tocouple at least one of said thermal superconductor and said thermalinterconnect, conduits and control lines, and said first enclosure andsaid second enclosure are connected by said conduit and control wiresfrom said blower.
 16. The geothermal exchange system of claim 7, furthercomprising: a first enclosure housing said compressor, controller meansand reversing valve, a second enclosure housing said first heatexchanger and said blower positioned proximal to said segment, andhaving at least one vent formed therein; and a ground loop enclosurehousing said second heat exchanger; wherein said first enclosure hasopenings formed therein to couple to at least one of said thermalsuperconductor and said thermal interconnect, conduits and controllines, and said first enclosure and said second enclosure are connectedby said conduit and control wires from said blower, and said ground loopenclosure housing is connected to said first enclosure housing by saidconduit.
 17. The geothermal exchange system of claim 3, furthercomprising an enclosure housing said compressor, said thermostat, saidfirst and second heat exchangers, said blower, and having at least onevent formed therein, wherein said enclosure has at least one openingformed therein for at least one of said thermal superconductor and saidthermal interconnect to couple to said second heat exchanger, powersource connections, and a water drain line.
 18. The geothermal exchangesystem of claim 3, further comprising: a first enclosure housing saidcompressor, said thermostat, said first heat exchanger, said blower, andhaving at least one vent formed therein; a second enclosure housing saidsecond heat exchanger; wherein said second enclosure has at least oneopening formed therein for at least one of said thermal superconductorand said thermal interconnect to couple to said second heat exchanger.19. The geothermal exchange system of claim 7, further comprising athermal mass contacting both above ground superconductor and said secondheat exchanger, to indirectly transfer heat between both.
 20. Thegeothermal exchange system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion ofsaid thermal superconductors are formed in discrete segments joined bysubstantially short thermally conducting joiners.
 21. The geothermalexchange system of claim 3, further comprising a receiver connected tosaid thermostat controller and a remote control for communicatinginformation with said receiver such that thermostat set points andoperations are wirelessly controllable.
 22. A heating device using anefficient geothermal system with high heat transfer superconductorcouplable to earth source, the device comprising: (a) a compressor; (b)a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein said firstheat exchanger is operable as an evaporator and said second heatexchanger is operable as a condenser in a cooling mode; (c) at least onefirst conduit in communication with said compressor and first heatexchanger and adapted for carrying refrigerant through said system toeach of said heat exchangers, said at least one conduit including areturn conduit for carrying refrigerant gas back to said compressor fromsaid second heat exchanger; (d) at least one of: (1) an above groundthermal superconductor segment thermally coupled to said second heatexchanger; and (2) a thermal interconnect thermally coupled to saidsecond heat exchanger, and thermally couplable to a thermalsuperconductor segment such that heat transfer losses are less than 20%;whereby refrigerant is pumped from said compressor through said at leastone conduit to said second heat exchanger where said refrigerant gas iscondensed into liquid and heat is efficiently transferred to earthsource through at least one of said thermal superconductor and saidthermal interconnect, said refrigerant transfers through said returnconduit to said first heat exchanger wherein said liquid is vaporizedinto gas, and back to said compressor via said return conduit.
 23. Theheating device of claim 22, further comprising at least one exteriorthermally superconducting ground coil formed from a high heat transfersuperconducting material, extending below a surface of earth allowingpassive thermal conduction to the earth source and couplable to at leastone of said thermal superconductor and said thermal interconnect. 24.The heating device of claim 22, further comprising a thermostatcontroller associated with said first heat exchanger and incommunication with said compressor, for controlling the operation of thecompressor in response to the difference between a desired temperatureset point and a measured temperature set point received by thethermostat.
 25. The heating device of claim 22, wherein said thermalsuperconductor material is an inorganic high heat transfer medium. 26.The heating device of claim 25, wherein said high heat transfer mediumis applied in a sealed heat transfer pipe.
 27. The heating device ofclaim 26, wherein said heat transfer pipe containing said high heattransfer medium is insulated above ground along a heat transfer segmentextending up to said thermal coupling to said second heat exchanger,said heat transfer pipe having thermal conductivity greater than 100times the thermal conductivity of silver, and substantially negligibleheat loss along said heat transfer segment.
 28. The heating device ofclaim 24, further comprising a blower positioned proximal to said firstheat exchanger, and wherein said thermostat controller is connected tosaid blower to control operation in response to the difference betweensaid set point and said measured temperature for the purpose of coolinginside air.
 29. The heating device of claim 22, further comprising anauxiliary heat exchanger coupled to said first heat exchanger, for thepurpose of exchanging auxiliary heat.
 30. The heating device of claim29, wherein said secondary heat exchanger uses liquid for heat transfer.31. The heating device of claim 30, wherein said liquid is water usedfor floor heating of said interior space.
 32. The heating device ofclaim 30, wherein said liquid is water used for domestic purposes. 33.The heating device of claim 30, wherein said liquid is greywater usedfor heat recovery.
 34. The heating device of claim 28 further comprisingan enclosure housing said compressor, said thermostat, said first andsecond heat exchangers, said blower, and having at least one vent formedtherein, wherein said enclosure has at least one opening formed thereinfor at least one of said thermal superconductor and said thermalinterconnect to couple to said second heat exchanger, power sourceconnections, and a water drain line.
 35. The heating device of claim 28,further comprising, a first enclosure housing said compressor, saidsecond heat exchanger and said controller; and a second enclosurehousing said first heat exchanger and said blower positioned proximal tosaid segment, and having at least one vent formed therein; wherein saidfirst enclosure has openings formed therein to couple at least one ofsaid thermal superconductor and said thermal interconnect, conduits andcontrol lines, and said first enclosure and said second enclosure arecouplable by at least one of said thermal superconductor and saidthermal interconnect and control wires from said blower.
 36. The heatingdevice of claim 22, further comprising an a thermal mass contacting bothabove ground superconductor and said second heat exchanger, toindirectly transfer heat between both.
 37. The heating device of claim23, wherein at least a portion of said thermal superconductors areformed in discrete segments joined by substantially short thermallyconducting joiners.
 38. The heating device of claim 24, furthercomprising a receiver connected to said thermostat controller and aremote control for communicating information with said receiver suchthat thermostat set points and operations are wirelessly controllable.39. A cooling device employing an efficient geothermal system with ahigh heat transfer superconductor couplable to earth source, the devicecomprising: (a) a compressor; (b) a first heat exchanger and a secondheat exchanger, wherein said first heat exchanger is operable as anevaporator and said second heat exchanger is operable as a condenser ina cooling mode; (c) at least one first conduit in communication withsaid compressor and first heat exchanger and adapted for carryingrefrigerant through said system to each of said heat exchangers, said atleast one conduit including a return conduit for carrying refrigerantgas back to said compressor from said second heat exchanger; (d) atleast one of: (1) an above ground thermal superconductor segmentthermally coupled to said second heat exchanger; and (2) a thermalinterconnect thermally coupled to said second heat exchanger, andthermally couplable to thermal superconductor segment such that heattransfer losses are less than 20%; whereby refrigerant is pumped fromsaid compressor through said at least one conduit to said second heatexchanger where said refrigerant gas is condensed into liquid and heatis efficiently transferred to earth source through at least one of saidthermal superconductor and said thermal interconnect, said refrigeranttransfers through said return conduit to said first heat exchangerwherein said liquid is vaporized into gas, and back to said compressorvia said return conduit.
 40. The cooling device of claim 39, furthercomprising at least one exterior thermally superconducting ground coilformed from a high heat transfer superconducting material, extendingbelow a surface of earth allowing passive thermal conduction to theearth source and couplable to at least one of said thermalsuperconductor and said thermal interconnect.
 41. The cooling device ofclaim 39, further comprising a thermostat controller associated withsaid first heat exchanger and in communication with said compressor, forcontrolling the operation of the compressor in response to thedifference between a desired temperature set point and a measuredtemperature set point received by the thermostat.
 42. The cooling deviceof claim 39, wherein said thermal superconductor material is aninorganic high heat transfer medium.
 43. The cooling device of claim 42,wherein said high heat transfer medium is applied in a sealed heattransfer pipe.
 44. The cooling device of claim 43, wherein said heattransfer pipe containing said high heat transfer medium is insulatedabove ground along a heat transfer segment extending up to said thermalcoupling to said second heat exchanger, said heat transfer pipe havingthermal conductivity greater than 100 times the thermal conductivity ofsilver, and substantially negligible heat loss along said heat transfersegment.
 45. The cooling device of claim 41, further comprising a blowerpositioned proximal to said first heat exchanger, and wherein saidthermostat controller is connected to said blower to control operationin response to the difference between said set point and said measuredtemperature for the purpose of cooling inside air.
 46. The coolingdevice of claim 39, wherein said first heat exchanger is coupled to asealable insulated enclosure, for the purpose of refrigerating theinterior of said enclosure.
 47. The cooling device of claim 41, furthercomprising an enclosure housing said compressor, said thermostat, saidfirst and second heat exchangers, said blower, and having at least onevent formed therein, wherein said enclosure has at least one openingformed therein for at least one of said thermal superconductor and saidthermal interconnect to couple to said second heat exchanger, powersource connections, and a water drain line.
 48. The cooling device ofclaim 22, further comprising: a first housing said compressor, saidsecond heat exchanger and said controller; and a second enclosurehousing said first heat exchanger and said blower positioned proximal tosaid segment, and having at least one vent formed therein, wherein saidfirst enclosure has openings to couple at least one of said thermalsuperconductor and said thermal interconnect, conduits and controllines, and said first enclosure and said second enclosure are couplableby at least one of said thermal superconductor and said thermalinterconnect and control wires from said blower.
 49. The cooling deviceof claim 40, further comprising an a thermal mass contacting both aboveground superconductor and said second heat exchanger, to indirectlytransfer heat between both.
 50. The cooling device of claim 40, whereinat least a portion of said thermal superconductors are formed indiscrete segments joined by substantially short thermally conductingjoiners.
 51. The cooling device of claim 41, further comprising areceiver connected to said thermostat controller and a remote controlfor communicating information with said receiver such that thermostatset points and operations are wirelessly controllable.